bleachfanfictionfandomcom-20200223-history
Yojimbo
Yojimbo (用心棒, "Bodyguard") is the ultimate achievement of both Shigenaga Arma and his late grandmother, Nimhe. It's an extremely powerful Shikigami-Ouji created over a period of three centuries, with some of the greatest and most divine materials available for purchase at the time. Although initially intended to be used for revenge against Nimhe's enemies, it's current function is to be a secret weapon for the against a future crisis, as it's sheer power renders it virtually unusable otherwise. For this reason, it's deemed to be a technical failure by Shigenaga, as in his desire to create something truly exceptional, he created a monster so fearsome so as to be unable to fulfill it's intended role as a bodyguard. Like most combat-centric Shikigami, it's power is derived from noteworthy individuals whose spirits have been deconstructed and infused into it's body through magic. What separates Yojimbo from others of it's kind is however the quality of the souls and the infamy of the people which composes it. To get access to these souls, Shigenaga was required to make several deals, which included hiring skilled members of the Kidō Corps to get him in it's ritual of awakening, and also notifying Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku of it's existence. Should Soul Society ever truly be threatened, Yojimbo is to serve as one of their trump cards, with such a promise made, Shigenaga was allowed to keep both his creation, and his life. It's currently been sealed below the Yōkōgoten (洋紅御殿, "Crimson Court") by members of the Kidō Corps. It took several attempts to accomplish this deed, and many died as a consequence, had they not recognized Yojimbo as a potentially invaluable tool for Soul Society, it's likely that grave penalties would've been given to it's creator. In spite of Shigenaga's great influence and power as one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Appearance History Yojimbo was the only Shikigami produced by Shigenaga Arma's late grandmother and mentor, Nimhe. It was intended to be her tool of revenge against those who had desecrated the name of her and her sister, to punish those who had taken her away. Such bitterness became hatred, and with that hatred came Yojimbo. Through her knowledge of the spirit arts, the old sorceress transformed herself into a variety of shapes to get close to the eleven greatest swordsmen of her time - each heading a dojo of their own and with many students that followed them blindly. Accustomed as they were to honorable combat, none of them suspected that they'd be brought low by fiendish magic and devilish trickery. That is, all except for one: was her name, unlike her peers, she would not be so easily defeated by sorcery and each attempt to curse her proved futile, for she would not reveal the secrets that Nimhe required. Realizing she had to do without her, Nimhe stored the souls in what was to be Yojimbo's torso, a torso made of the scales of the Genbu itself. Considered impenetrable to magic, blade or fist. How Nimhe managed to get her hands on such a powerful artifact one could only guess, but her clan experienced a sudden crisis in their economy around that time. Over the course of several decades, she worked to construct Yojimbo's body, and although she could not afford to add the scales of Genbu to every part of it's main body, she went to great lengths to retrieve other materials of exceptional quality. Although the main pieces of Yojimbo's armor is composed of Genbu's scales, there's places where the scales of dragons have been used instead. These are it's weak points, for while the scale of dragons is incredibly resilent to elemental attacks, it's weaker to physical blows and is by no means impenetrable. Before Nimhe could reach the last step of it's creation, the ten spirits gathered had to settle in within the span of fifthy years, and it was during these five decades that she was bested and ultimately killed at the hands of her own grandson. Shigenaga soon became aware of Yojimbo's unfinished state and existence, and brought it with him when he abandoned his clan. It's believed that Nimhe wished for her dear grandson to complete the construct in her place, perhaps realizing that in her old age she no longer had the strength to complete it's ritual of awakening. Where his grandmother had failed, he gave his all to succeed. Believing that the ten masters thus far locked away within it were insufficient, he set his sights on taking the soul of a powerful captain: when killed the former Captain of the 11th Division the choice naturally fell on him. For fifthy more years Yojimbo slumbered, empowering it further, and then only a mere few years ago, did something miracolous happen; Zaraki Kenpachi killed Yachiru Unohana in battle. Knowing well that such an immensely powerful soul would take a long time to corrode completely, Shigenaga used his wealth at the time, which was great even back then, to make a deal with the Kido Corps, allowing him to retrieve a portion of her spirit which was then infused into Yojimbo's sleeping form. Despite the construct having completedly integrated it's energy within it's constructed body, the sheer essence of Unohana, considered one of the greatest swordsmasters to have ever existed within the Soul Society was enough to delay it's awakening by a further ten years. Whereas it had at most required a single year to integrate the spirits of the other swordsmen, proving that her spirit alone had experienced, mastered and learned ten times as much as any one of them. Now at last, the time for Yojimbo's true awakening draws near, and the creation of the greatest Shikigami-Ouji of this millenia is to be heralded, more than three-hundred years after it's original conception. To Shigenaga, Yojimbo is the final gift given from his grandmother, and one he does not intend to squander or use needlessly. To further empower his creation, the incredibly powerful Shikigami was granted a worthy weapon, a katana forged from what is said to be one of Ryujin's teeth. Such a blade would not break, even were it to be swung by someone such as Yojimbo. Powers & Abilities : As a Shikigami born of the collected spirits and powers of twelve powerful Shinigami, the full extent of it's spiritual power is nothing short of gargantuan. The environment itself crumbles beneath it's weight, earth heaves and falls, as raging currents resembling sparks of electricity rip open large crevasses in the ground. To stand within hundred meters of Yojimbo's full unbridled power is death itself, for it's unable to control it's overwhelming strength on it's own, lacking the finesse of a true Shinigami. To protect himself and his subordinates, Shigenaga was forced to employ a variety of powerful seals to limit the sheer overwhelming potency of it's energies and then have it locked away underneath his castle behind a set of enchanted doors. Like most Shikigami, Yojimbo is incapable of exerting it's spiritual power in the form of reiatsu, and thus the very ground where it threads, which peels apart in layers of bedrock and dirt as though it wishes to escape it, does so from the force of it's raw energies alone. Despite it's indescribable power, which only a handful of individuals are able to sense at all, it's the nature of it's energy that is most terrifying, for it is without neither aim, resolve nor conviction - like an endless black expanse of emptiness it stretches, drowning out everything else with it's sheer magnitude. Upon it's initial awakening, not only did it's mere presence instantly vaporize most of the Kidō specialists sent to awake it, but the nameless terror of it's presence alone inspired a panic-driven riot in the northern Rukongai districts, inspiring wanton slaughter as men and women killed one another in their desperation to escape it, even if none of them could even feels it's spiritual power. Due to the chaos which it transpired in this single moment, and the great amount of lives that were lost as a result, it was decreed that it would never be unleashed unless in the case of an extreme emergency - and so it was that Yojimbo, who was intended to bring Shigenaga to glory and serve in his bid for power, was deemed a failure after all. A cautionary tale, some would say, of what happens when your greed and ambitions drive you to reach a mountain that none have ever before dared to climb. Immeasureable Strength: As a being composed of twelve powerful souls, Yojimbo possesses strength equaling all of them together. It's enormous strength is made evident right from the beginning, as even without attacking the force of it's movements alone is enough to produce waves of concussive force, partially due to the Shikigami's tremendous weight. Whenever Yojimbo does attack, the effect on the environment is immediate and overwhelming, as trees dislodge from the earth and spiral around the being, lifted off of the ground by the raw force produced by it's swings - the world around it quakes and seems to follow the trajectory of it's attack perfectly, loose debris, stone and bedrock whirling about it as though seized by a furious storm. It's strength has even been theorized to be sufficient to destroy a structure as large as the Senzaikyū with a single punch, but as Yojimbo is actually incapable of punching properly, or even consciously handling it's tremendous strength this theory has been unproven. In battle, it's strength is typically shown within it's sword swings, whose sheer power is such that they unleash shockwaves of such power that anything standing within their radius is effectively erased, wiped away as though knocked over by a divine hand. Whenever Yojimbo moves, the earth trembles underneath it, and when it runs overwhelming weight of it's simple steps causes spires of earth to rise from below, forever changing the environment as a result. Because of it's tremendous strength, it's thus far not been discovered a Bakudo spell powerful enough to prevent it's movement, with even spells as powerful as unable to contain it for more than a brief moment. Shigenaga has theorized that if Yojimbo should be bound, it'd require a true master of Bakudo, and more than likely an exceptionally great source of energy from which to derive their spells power. Yes, indeed, it's strength is so great that it can, if commanded specifically to do so, break out of a bounded field with nothing but it's strength alone, proving that it's raw force transcends even the dimensions of magic; in such a case the bounded field bleeds into reality and a portion of each collapse upon the other. Unless it's told to do this however, a bounded field would be adequate at sealing it away. Immense Speed: Yojimbo's speed is directly derived from it's immense strength, propelling itself forward by it's pure leg strength alone. In this manner it can effortlessly keep up with even masters of conventional techniques for hitherto indefinite periods of time, assuming the ground it moves on can withstand it's tremendous weight and strength, that is. Cause whenever Yojimbo moves at close to it's full speed, utter devastation and ruin befalls anything within the local area, as the immense air pressure tears the landscape to pieces, upturning bedrock and erecting spires of rock and dirt. Nothing within the radius is spared this destruction - to limit damage to the surrounding area, however pointless that might be, Shigenaga has given Yojimbo instructions to walk, and only run to catch up to a true enemy of Seireitei. Therefore, it's a clear sign that when Yojimbo runs, it's intended to annihilate any that stand in it's way to protect the integrity and independence of Soul Society. But the most impressive aspect of it's speed lies not in it's capacity for movement, but within it's capacity for attack, as when engaged in close quarters, it's arms and gestures remains a blur to even some of the most seasoned fighters in the world. Because of this, Yojimbo is capable of reacting in time to block, counter or evade almost any attack without any serious effort, but whether or not it actually does so depends on outside input. In comparison to Shunpo, Yojimbo's movements aren't single steps, but instead consist of a long continuous sprint, which makes it much more similar to and like skilled users of the latter, it can attack mid-movement with no foreseeable difficulties whatsoever. Indomitable Durability & Resistance to Magic: When Yojimbo's body was constructed by the sorceress Nimhe, the old woman used a grand fortune to acquire a fairly large piece of Genbu's scales, these scales were then integrated into it's construction, covering it's entire torso and both of it's legs. The scales of the legendary black tortoise are reputedly impenetrable by any known means, and even confers upon Yojimbo an almost absolute protection from magical attacks on the areas of it's body covered by those scales. Even some of the most powerful spells attempted by the Kidō Corps failed to even impede it's movement, at most causing it a skitter back a few steps or displacing it; at one point it was even observed simply walking out of a full-powered spell that reduced the entire local area to nothing but debris. Despite the hopelessness one might feel upon learning of the origins of it's body, there is a small hope nonetheless for the old sorceress' funds were limited and she therefore had to make do with dragon scales across the rest of it's body, leaving the finished construct vulnerable in certain places, as although the scales of dragons are highly resistant to magical attacks, they're much easier to penetrate by blade, although it's still a remarkable feat nonetheless. Unfortunately, without knowledge of it's construction, most attempts at harming or damaging Yojimbo in any way is rarely anything more than an exercise in futility, as even it's own creator Shigenaga Arma has virtually no idea how to realistically destroy it. Grandmaster Swordsman Grandmaster Swordsman: Unlike most Shikigami, Yojimbo has no special techniques or abilities, not even within the subject of Kenjutsu, which is without a doubt it's greatest skill by a massive margin. It never calls out the names of it's attacks, and it likewise employs no specific techniques in combat aside from simple applications and gestures. Through the twelve swordmasters that comprise it's core, the construct possesses a mastery in all form of Kenjutsu, and utilizes their styles perfectly, often blending in multiple styles seemingly of it's own accord to bring down it's enemy. There's never any hint of effort in it's movements, and each swing of it's blade is flawlessly executed, as it draws on the experience of twelve masters and utilizes their teachings as best it can. At least, that would be the case if it actually wielded it's sword, but nay, Yojimbo's martial spirit has lingered and it therefore seeks to test the opposition before committing itself to true combat, and it does this by using each of it's many weapons, only ever making use of Sorayabureme once all of the others have been employed. Despite it's tremendous ability, Yojimbo has one fatal flaw in it's swordsmanship, and that is a complete and utter inability to employ proper Zanjutsu, with it lacking a spirit to draw the strength from. Despite this lack of Zanjutsu, Yojimbo is still fully capable of similar feats, such as striking to the heart of any magical spell or ability, killing it promptly and having it fade away to nothing. Yojimbo even sees the connections between people, techniques and structures, and with a single chop it can cut these ties, inspiring immediate memory loss and weakening the knowledge of the target allowing it to literally carve away undesireable memories that could put either it's master or Soul Society in jeopardy - yes, it can easily be said that in theory, Yojimbo is capable of cutting anything, whether that be concepts, emotions or of course, people. It's blade transcends all the limitations of common swordsmanship, and defies the very rule of reach and range, allowing the creature to strike at anyone irrespective of distance, it's sword extending across all the physical planes at once. However, these abilities are limited by it's weaponry and it's only when it wields it's personal weapon that it can produce most of these amazing feats. Beyond it's ability to cut anything, Yojimbo can actually decide what or not to cut in the moment it makes a swing. It can choose to cut through spiritual energy, but not harm flesh itself, or cut down specific people while making a swing towards a large crowd of people, without harming anyone else. These extraordinary feats are achieved by Yojimbo's intent, which is reflected from the twelve caged souls that makes up it's existence. Indeed, the very concept of cutting is one that's been integrated into it's very core. As a result, Yojimbo is an opponent capable of great miracles and feats that one might ordinarily have thought impossible for a simple swordsman to accomplish. Although a Shikigami-Ouji of truly terrible power, Yojimbo's desire to test it's opposition leads it to using six different armaments, each more intense than the last. Although it'd undoubtedly be more beneficial for it to simply wield it's full power right from the start, it's lingering spirit as a warrior has overwhelmed Shigenaga's most intense attempts at correction. Empty Blade — Shadowless Flight: A conceptual technique that Yojimbo rarely uses, not because it's difficult, but because a majority of the souls that compose it must be in perfect alignment for it to have the means to do so. It's not known how this technique came to be, many speculate that it was crafted when executioners of millenniums past could no longer stand by and watch as criminals outran them with their high-speed techniques, means of teleportation or other acts of cowardice. As the name suggests, the technique turns the swordsman's very will into an empty blade and swings it to bring down justice on those who would otherwise possess the skill to evade it. When employing this conceptual technique, Yojimbo positions it's weapon with the point facing skywards, as though poised in respect to it's enemy, it's lifeless eyes always directed at the target in question before the Shadowless Flight is set into motion. Once it takes effect, seven near-simultaneous slashes are made against the target, these invisible blades seemingly manifesting out of thin air, much in a manner similar to the traditional flying sword; unlike the much simpler technique however, the Shadowless Flight tracks it's target, and no matter how far they run or move away from the initial point, no matter where they hide, the attack will happen all the same, as long as Yojimbo manages to perform the preliminary gesture in their presence. Although considered completely unavoidable, the seven slashes can be interfered with as one would ordinary blades, and thus extremely skilled combatants can predict where they'll manifest and block them preemptively in perfect order. Their power is however comparable to a real attack from Yojimbo, and thus carries behind him the full force of it's tremendous physical strength, needless to say, most opponents never survive the first strike even if they can feel it coming; their bodies being torn apart by the raw air currents before the first cut reaches their bodies. Although the exact strength of the Shadowless Flight varies depending on which weapon the Shikigami is wielding at the moment. Following a successful attack, blood appears on Yojimbo's weapon as though it had physically cut the victim down. According to Shigenaga, Yojimbo's ability to perform the Shadowless Flight was because Nimhe happened to secure the last surviving member of the order from which it was derived, the fool naturally lacked the ability to use it himself, but the knowledge proved sufficient for the lingering spirit of Yachiru Unohana - who naturally possessed the potential to do so, fitting as she was once hailed as the greatest sword master in the entire history of Soul Society. It's believed that only a true Grandmaster could revive the Shadowless Flight by learning it from exchanging blows with Yojimbo itself. Six Armaments of Yojimbo The Leaf: The first weapon in the Shikigami's arsenal, and by far it's weakest in terms of power, speed and scope is an item as simple as a single green leaf which it holds between two fingers. These leaves are imbued with a portion of it's spiritual power in order to be able to withstand the immense force of it's power, and are kept on the inside of it's obi sash. Most opponents can only laugh in disbelief when it confronts them with a mere leaf, barely the size of a tiny dagger. But in their arrogance and surprise, they forget one crucial detail, a leaf has edges, and even if these edges cannot ordinarily cause others more than a few superficial cuts if handled improperly it's a fact that they're capable of cutting nonetheless. When a leaf is wielded by Yojimbo, it becomes a fearsome weapon capable of felling entire battalions with but a single elegant swing of the blade itself - a leaf also has two edges and therefore, no matter what side Yojimbo uses, the result is usually lethal all the same. The reason Yojimbo can wield a single leaf with enough force to clash with actual weapons is because the very concept of a sword is in the end as subjective as anything else, a sword can be so many different things, the air, the wind or indeed, a leaf. Blades of air manifest when Yojimbo uses the leaves, dancing blades of wind emanate across the battlefield, shredding even steadfast veterans to pieces without remorse or hesitation. Like with all the other armaments, Yojimbo sometimes employs the Leaf even against powerful and worthy rivals, all depending on how it's uses might best benefit the situation - drawing on it's double-edged nature, the leaf is an entirely offensive weapon and whenever Yojimbo, or rather it's master Shigenaga, wishes to mete out death to a large amount of targets at once, or whenever subtlety is more important that power; Yojimbo wields the leaf with actual purpose. The Twig: Considered something of a step up from the Leaf, the Twig, although blunt and edgeless has much greater destructive power than the leaf, while it's more balanced weight makes it easier to handle overall. When wielded by Yojimbo, it's a weapon of raw unadulterated destruction, displacing air and unleashing overwhelming shockwaves that upturn earth and eradicate the unwary. Each blow generates large craters in the ground, and causes tremors that can be felt far away from Yojimbo's actual location. Whenever the Shikigami-Ouji makes use of this weapon, it commonly does so in the style of , wielding the small twig between two fingers in a strange gesture. With each chop it channels a sizeable amount of energy into the twig and unleashes it in a massive pillar of grey reiryoku. Thus, the Twig is most commonly utilized for it's raw power, which far exceeds that of most other weapons Yojimbo wields, despite the twigs menial appearance. For in the art of true swordsmanship, nothing is truly the way it seems. Behind the Scenes Yojimbo's name and appearance is a homage to the same character from Final Fantasy X. One of the authors favorite games. The author decided to keep the name because it perfectly embodied what he wanted from the character.